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With the NWU recently launching its first breastfeeding room in celebration of World Breastfeeding Week in August, Eish! spoke to Chantell Witten about the survey that set things in motion.

Breast milk is the optimal food for babies and is essential to their survival, says Chantell Witten, senior lecturer in nutrition in the Faculty of Health Sciences on the campus in Potchefstroom. She has been campaigning for suitable breastfeeding rooms at the NWU where staff who are breastfeeding mothers can privately and hygienically express breastmilk for later consumption by their infants. Here she is at the newly launched breastfeeding room, called Made for Moms.

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What does the Code of Good Practices stipulate?

 

It specifies that arrangements should be made for employees who are breastfeeding to have two 30-minute breaks a day to breastfeed or express milk for the first six months of their children’s lives.

Chantell, a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health Sciences on the campus in Potchefstroom, initiated the idea of the breastfeeding room in 2016.

 

This was after her BSc Nutrition fourth-year students, in partnership with the NWU Wellness programme, conducted a staff survey across all three campuses to find out about the needs and perceptions of staff on breastfeeding at the workplace.

 

Key findings

 

A total of 362 staff members participated in an electronic survey, and separate interviews were held with selected staff in management and leadership positions.

 

While there was resounding support for a breastfeeding policy, there was a lack of awareness about the need to protect and support breastfeeding mothers in the workplace.

 

Of concern was that none of the managers who participated in the survey were aware of the provisions made in the South African Code of Good Practice on the Protection of Employees during Pregnancy and after Birth.

 

What staff said

 

Although there have in the past been a few negative incidents and reports to the NWU’s People and Culture department about breastfeeding at the workplace, it was clear from the survey that managers and colleagues are willing to support the development of a breastfeeding policy. This would be in line with the university’s gender equity practices, the transformation agenda and its contribution towards a healthy and sustainable South Africa.

 

However, among respondents there is a lack of understanding and clarity over who should be driving the establishment of such a policy.

 

A room made for moms

 

The new breastfeeding room was established with the support of Prof Marius Smuts, the director of the Centre of Excellence for Nutrition (CEN) at the Lipid Clinic in building G17 on our campus in Potchefstroom.

 

This is the first step towards addressing the university’s serious lack of facilities for mothers needing to express their breastmilk.

 

“For many people it is still taboo to breastfeed in public, and that is why they do not support it at the workplace,” says Chantell. “Our first breastfeeding room is a step in the right direction, but ideally there should one day be breastfeeding spaces in each of our buildings where women work.”

 

For more information about breastfeeding at the workplace, phone Chantell at X99 2473.

 

 

Watch this video about breastfeeding, among others featuring Chantelle Witten participating in the TV programme Health Talk on SABC News.